Health vs Appearance

Hey, Guy's and welcome to another edition of Caribbean Fit! Hope all is well with everyone. I've been really thinking for a while of how much people are obsessed with weight loss and size and not actually focussing on health. It is for this reason I want to discuss physical appearance vs health.

All across the world there has been and continues to be an obsession with weight loss and physical appearance and the Carribean is definitely not exempt from this obsession. In the Caribbean, it is customary to be greeted with a comment about your weight as opposed to a "hi how are you". What you get instead is a, "hey did you lose/gain weight?" (of course in our Caribbean dialect). This is very annoying to most people and can also have adverse effects on an individual's self-perception. However, what we should all think about is that everyone will never be the same shape or size and the emphasis should be shifted on overall health.
Image result for weight loss obsession
Image courtesy Google
We should know that a person's health status cannot be determined by their physical appearance. As a Nutrition and Dietetic professional, I am aware of the importance of knowing your numbers. When I say numbers, I am not just speaking about your weight alone but also your cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, BMI, blood pressure and waist measurements. Having this information taken by a medical practitioner or Dietetic professional and knowing what these numbers mean will all contribute to you having a better understanding of your health status and taking the necessary steps to get to the place you want to/ought to be.

Remember, appearance does not matter, as there are persons who are slim with many health complications and overweight persons who are in great health. The focus should be on striving to live a healthy lifestyle, eating the right foods, getting adequate physical activity and your mental health and as mentioned before knowing your numbers and what they mean and being comfortable in the skin you are in are all you should focus on. Your reason for wanting to lose/gain weight should never be based on someone else's opinion or comment but on your health status and your level of comfort. It is important to make sure that you're doing it for you!

Bye for now, until next time...... keep healthy and happy! 😗💋😚
Image result for health vs appearance
Image courtesy Google

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Balanced Diet

Image
Hey Guys! So we're back at it again and as I said in my last post think balance. This is because This week's post is about a balanced diet. Within the Caribbean and the world over, persons face a problem striking a balance among the three macro-nutrients, namely: carbohydrates, proteins and fats which we discussed individually in previous post. Check out my previous posts if you have not already done so to get a greater understanding of what we are discussing now. In the Caribbean persons have a problem balancing there diets as plates I have often see are packed with mostly carbohydrates and a tiny bit of protein and good fats (which I would have been guilty of at times 😉). However, not only the Caribbean region is guilty of having a lopsided diet but in other parts of the world too, with diets full of carbohydrates and saturated fats, but don't worry, we are in this together and today's post is geared towards helping us all achieve a balanced diet. Below are example
Read more

Proteins

Image
Hey guys! So today it's all about PROTEINS! I love me some protein in all its forms. In my previous post on carbs, I mentioned that they are the primary fuel source of the body. However, proteins are a secondary fuel source for the body, in other words they are used for fuel when the body runs out of carbs or not enough carbs are present to fuel work. In the Caribbean we eat a wide range of protein, from plant based to animal based, from your regular chicken to your exotic Iguana we almost eat it all.😂😂 Below are images of the various proteins consumed in the Caribbean.         Photos courtesy google images. Proteins are very important within the human body as they not only act as a secondary fuel source, but they are necessary for growth, repair and recovery, immunity and of course promotes muscle building. Each gram of protein contains 4 calories and it is recommended that persons consume at least 0.8g per kg of body weight to meet daily protein requireme
Read more

Alcohol

Image
Hey Guys! Sorry I've been MIA for a while, been working on some stuff. As you can see from the title we gonna talk alcohol today! Are you all excited?  I know I am. In the Caribbean, alcohol is consumed widely among the islands. It is a part of most if not all of our social events such as weddings, birthdays, christening parties, chilling on the beach, wakes or funeral receptions (repast). Almost all, if not every Caribbean island has an alcohol that is associated with that particular territory, an example is in Trinidad and Tobago there is the Angostura Rum brand, in Jamaica, there is Appleton Rum and in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, there is the very strong Sunset Rum, just to name a few. With all that said, the real question is, does alcohol add any nutritional value or benefit? Jamaica's Appleton Rum  SVG's Sunset Rum Trinidad and Tobago's Angostura Rum Alcohol is basically a liquid created by sugar that has been put through the process of fermen
Read more